'He was floating around in his jeans!' - Neil Robertson on facing debutant at World Snooker Championship

Neil Robertson has reflected on facing a local Crucible debutant in the shape of Ashley Hugill in their first-round encounter at the World Championship. The Thunder from Down Under overcame Hugill 10-5 in their opener in Sheffield, living up to his tag as the tournament favourite in the process. Ad/> Robertson roared back from 3-1 down in emphatic fashion as he reeled off the next eight frames to secure his place in the next round much more comfortably than it looked likely to be early on.

/> World Championship'I thrive off that' — Robertson on wall being lifted during Crucible clashAN HOUR AGO He registered a string of stunning breaks in that eight-frame run, including 107, 119 and 132 in the seventh, eighth and ninth frames respectively. The Australian had assumed a 6-3 overnight lead from Monday heading into Tuesday’s session. Robertson showed his class by concluding the match with a knock of 110 to secure his 58th ton of the season – more than anyone else — and he was left to reflect on his opponent's pre-match attire, his play and the dividing wall being lifted mid-encounter.

«When the wall goes up, I guess that probably worked in my favour a bit,» Robertson told Eurosport after the match. Robertson hoping for ‘4,000-5,000’ fans at World Championship in future ‘Knock me off my perch’ – O’Sullivan’s message to those who want him to quit «That is kind of like a home-court advantage if you like. He is probably used to playing in the cubicles — and that is what we are playing in, it is like a cubicle set up — but then when that wall comes up, all of a sudden it is an arena.